Astronomy January 2009

Top 10 stories of 2008 Astronomers saw the first moments of a star's death, the Phoenix Lander tasted martian water, exoplanet hunters discovered a mini version of our solar system, and more. By Daniel Pendick

Is our galaxy running out of gas? New results from the Spitzer Space Telescope suggest the Milky Way is creating so many stars that it may run out of gas in a billion years. By Bruce Dorminey

How Johannes Kepler revolutionized astronomy This 17th-century German astronomer explained planetary orbits, discovered light'sinverse-square law, and wrote the first modern book on optics. By Daniel HudonExplore the sky's spooky reflection nebulae You'll need a big scope and a dark sky to explore the van den Bergh catalog's challenging objects. By Thomas V. DavisThe van den Bergh catalog Download a list of the 158 reflection nebulae that Sidney van den Bergh catalogued. By Michael E. BakichFind your way through the winter sky The crisp, clear skies of winter beckon beginning observers. By Michael E. BakichOrion's StarBlast 6 makes a great first scope This grab-and-go telescope offers 6 inches of light-gathering in a compact design. By Glenn Chaple